India clinched T20 World Cup 2026 title after beating New Zealand© AFP
Harbhajan Singh gave a brutal reply to former Indian cricket team star Kirti Azad after he questioned the move to visit a temple after the T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. Following India’s win over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final, skipper Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and ICC chairman Jay Shah visited the Hanuman Temple in Ahmedabad along with the trophy. Azad sparked controversy when he questioned why the trophy was taken to a temple and not to other religious places. In response, Harbhajan said that Azad was trying to play ‘politics’ and called the remark ‘unfortunate’.
“It is absurd what he (Kirti Azad) is trying to do by playing politics with this. The Indian team can take the trophy to a temple, a mosque, a church, wherever they want to. If they have asked something from their God and have revisited their faith after their wish was fulfilled, what’s the problem in that?” Harbhajan Singh said.
“It is unfortunate to hear these things from fellow cricketers. Maybe they are preferring politics over the sport. It is even more unfortunate that he is a sportsman. The country has won a World Cup. Be happy, celebrate, but you are busy doing politics. We say in our faith that all religions are the same. There may be different Gods, but the path is the same. If they went to a temple, a mosque or a church, it is the same. It is their faith and you should not be questioning it,” he added.
Harbhajan also reacted to BCCI announcing Rs 131 crore reward for the Indian cricket team players and support staff. The former India spinner said that he expected the amount to be more.
“I was expecting more, because when such a big task is undertaken, the reward should be even greater. But congratulations to the team for their dominance in the World Cup, and for showing everyone how powerful India is,” Harbhajan said.
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